Who would think the BBC could do anything to draw the ire of watchers?
It’s the BBC, for God’s sake, not TMZ, CNN or The National Enquirer.
“Extremely poor decision by the BBC,” tweeted Tim Montgomerie, a British activist and columnist.
The BBC’s stunt involved the network’s presenter Victoria Derbyshire hanging out with a baby version of an inflatable puffy, orange President Donald Trump blimp in studio. It was complete with nipples, chest hair, an open mouth and a bright yellow mane. The stinger is that this all went down as Trump arrived in London Monday morning. Can you imagine the poor chap who had to blow this thing up?
It’s not as if Trump didn’t recently bash the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on foreign soil. Or as though the president’s aides protected Trump from the triggering site of a ship named for one of his dead political enemies. The bigger 20-foot version of the blimp is a protest of Trump’s first official state visit to the UK. London Mayor Sadiq Khan authorized the gargantuan balloon to fly.
“Is it ‘patriotic’ to side with a mayor when he spends 48hrs attacking America’s President as he arrives to honour the D-Day heroes?” asked Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan on Twitter Monday. In a new Daily Mail column, he gave London’s mayor a spanking: “The real big baby in London this week is Mayor Khan – a petty little pipsqueak who’d shamefully rather mock and humiliate the President of Britain’s greatest ally than honour the D-Day heroes of both our nations.”
Morgan predicted that Trump would amuse the queen more than most: “I think the Queen rather likes President Trump. Bet he makes her laugh more than most of the dreary politicians she has to meet.”
As described by the Daily Mail, the blimp has Trump in a “nappy” and “clutching” a blue cell phone. (RELATED: Trump Emerges With New Hairdo For London Visit)
So perhaps this was not the warmest British welcome in the world.
I’m beyond embarrassed & angered that @BBCNews would have a replica of the ‘blimp’ in their studios. President Trump represents the American people who are our greatest allies, abhorrent that the BBC is showing them such vile disrespect as we honour their sacrifices during WWII ! pic.twitter.com/oqjyW5biYW
— Julia ???????? #NoDealBrexitNow (@JulesSunbeam) June 3, 2019
Businessman Adam Cadell said the BBC’s use of the ugly blimp showed the network’s political bias.
“There was no need to bring that into the studio & give the perpetrators publicity by doing so,” he wrote. “The BBC were once a symbol of respect throughout the world, now they’re just a biased organisation [sic] that I no longer believe in or trust, just how much further can it sink? Pathetic.”
Timber technology specialist Karl Beeby was beyond outraged.
“Quite ghastly of the BBC,” he wrote.
Brexit Party member Jorge Schtopar was also displeased.
“I have to say, I agree. I’m not reactionary but I instantly grimaced when I saw it on telly,” he wrote. “Sad that our media have sunk this low.”
Trump has only been in the UK for a matter of hours. He has already gonged CNN, calling it “fake news” and “all negative.”
It’s hard to imagine him not sticking a pin — so to speak — in the blimp as the day wears on.